If you would like to support HeART of Survival, we are currently gathering art supplies through the end of summer for upcoming sessions in Long Beach.
- Journals
- Brushes
- Crayons
- Canvas
- Any craft supplies
These are simple things.
They can also become the beginning of a story.
At HeART of Survival, we believe people are more than the hardest chapter of their lives. We invest in stories, and we create spaces of belonging where reflection, creativity, and connection can grow.
That is what this invitation is about.
When you give art supplies, you help make room for quiet conversation around an art table. You help place a blank journal in someone’s hands for the first time. You help create a space where a person can discover a way to express something words could not yet hold.
Through CityHeART, our broader community responds to practical needs in many ways. HeART of Survival is the story-centered healing program within that ecosystem, creating space for reflection, creativity, and meaning-making alongside the realities people are already carrying.
We do not need to force a story open.
We simply make space for it to unfold.
The Tools of the Story
There is something steady about a table set with paper, paint, and room to breathe.
Someone opens a blank journal and does not have to explain everything right away.
Someone sits beside others in quiet conversation, listening and being listened to.
Someone tries color, texture, shape, or line and finds a way to express something words could not yet carry.
This is why creative materials matter.
An art supply donation helps create the conditions for reflection. It offers tools people can return to at their own pace, in their own voice, with their own meaning. A crayon, a journal, a brush, a piece of charcoal, a blank page — these are everyday objects, but they can hold real moments of safety, presence, and discovery.
We believe stories deserve care.
And we believe the tools that hold those stories matter too.
An Invitation to Give
We are gathering supplies for upcoming HeART of Survival sessions through the end of the summer.
We welcome new supplies, and we also gratefully accept used supplies that are in good condition.
Needed Supplies
- Drawing and coloring: crayons, colored pencils, coloring sheets, coloring books
- Painting: acrylic, watercolor, or oil paints, plus brushes
- Surfaces and paper: canvas, canvas boards, mixed media paper, sketchbooks
- Creative extras: glue, pastels, and general craft items
How to Get Your Gift to Us
Making an art supply donation is a tangible way to support community healing in Long Beach.
Drop-off Location:
CityHeART
2291 W Williams St, Long Beach, CA 90810
Drop-off Hours:
Monday through Friday, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.
If you prefer to order supplies online (such as through Amazon), you can have them shipped directly to us. Please send us a Direct Message (DM) on our social media or contact us through our website to receive the current shipping address.
Presence Over Performance
At HeART of Survival, we walk alongside.
We do not come to rescue. We come to make space for belonging, dignity, and voice.
Your support helps us hold that space with care. It helps create a setting where people can pause, reflect, and reconnect with parts of themselves that have had little room to breathe. This is how we empower, equip, and engage our community: not by speaking over anyone’s story, but by investing in the conditions where stories can be told.
Other Ways to Walk Alongside Us
If you do not have art supplies to give, there are still meaningful ways to engage with this mission.
Share the Message:
Sharing this invitation with your friends, local art groups, or workplace helps us reach people who may want to contribute but do not yet know about the need.
Monetary Gifts:
Financial contributions help sustain our support groups in Long Beach, support facilitated workshops, and help us continue creating spaces of belonging through CityHeART. You can give directly through the CityHeART website.
Being a Witness:
Simply reading these words and choosing to value another person’s story is meaningful. When we shift our attention from problems to people, our whole community grows more humane.
A Space Held for You
Whether you are a veteran, a senior, a whole family, or a neighbor looking to help, you belong in this story.
You do not need to be an artist to participate.
You do not need perfect words to begin.
We are honored to do this work in Long Beach, and we are grateful for a community that believes in story-centered healing.
Every journal, brush, and blank canvas creates space for another person's story to unfold.
HeART of Survival is a program of CityHeART, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our mission is to empower, equip, and engage the Long Beach community through story-centered healing and human development.
